Trials
by ihadnowittyusername
Summary: Jack won't sleep. [Complete].
1. Bobby

**I.**  
Bobby grew up on Marvin Gaye.

Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Earth Wind & Fire, The Supremes and so on and so forth. Those are some of Bobby's first and truest memories. Sometimes he'll find himself humming some old tune. A song that he vaguely remembers hearing in some other lifetime. He'll wonder where he picked the song up and he'll find himself fingering those old school records.

_Especially _Marvin Gaye, because he had always been his favorite.

When Evelyn had first met Bobby she had been nothing more than an ex-hippie with a big heart who had some trouble settling into life as a worker bee. She wasn't used to being somewhere where music wasn't top priority. Music and art, that is. And she still held onto her big heart. Her view on pacifism and what-not. She had made sure that Bobby would have a kind and caring environment to live in.

All she really had at the time was a small apartment.

Back then, Bobby could remember her dancing. Her straight blonde hair– stretching the length of her back– would sway with her hips. She should twirl around to Me & Mrs. Jones while cooking or cleaning.

Of course sometimes Bobby would sense her past slipping through. They would end up listening to Bob Dylan or the Mama's and Papa's and she would tell Bobby about San Francisco. They would stay up all night and fall asleep on an old, torn quilt that someone had given her.

Then, they moved into a house and there was more space and room yet they wouldn't really dance nor would they stay up because of Bobby's _bedtime._

She really did change in some ways. Instead of sun dresses she would wear black dresses to work. Or even black slacks.

Then there was another kid, Jerry, and even with all of Evelyn's talk about love and peace and San Francisco Bobby fought. He did it because it was the only way to ensure that no one could take away his home.

Naturally, they didn't sleep in the living room anymore and anytime Bobby would imagine it he would always think that sixteen was too old to sleep with his mom and Evelyn would never suggest it because Angel had a hard time sleeping through the night and he would get up every night and hide in his closet and Evelyn would have to tell him that it was ok to sleep in the bed because there was no need to hide anymore.

Sometimes though, Bobby'll find himself in his bedroom– which he never sleeps in anyway– running his thumb over old records that he doesn't even have a system to support anymore. He'll find himself running his thumb over them lovingly. Caressing the records sweetly. Caressing them the way someone would caress a lover...or...maybe just a memory.

And he'll spend extra time on Marvin Gaye because... he enjoys the memory he gets of Evelyn smiling and telling him that dinner's done. Although, admittedly, his favorite part would be her turning the music off because that was her cue that she wanted to talk. And all else aside, Marin Gaye had always been his favorite anyway.

**An:** Ok. I worked with a new kind of style here. Kind of a rushed-and-yet-run-on-sentence thing here. I would appreciate feedback on if it's working or not.


	2. Jerry

**II.**  
Jerry's a thief.

Ever since he's moved in he's taken things. Small things that he thinks no one'll notice. Evelyn does though. She's missing her hair clip, brush, pen, guitar pick– from her first boyfriend– and Bobby's been missing his shoelace for a week.

Evelyn can't decide on how to approach Jerry on it.

It's not like he want's to steal. Or at least she doesn't think so. He just wants to know that he won't be kicked out again. That he won't be left alone and empty. And if he is, he wants something to remember them by. He envies Bobby who has a room. He envies Bobby who grew up with a mother.

He came when Evelyn was just mellowing out. With her apartment and her 'free love' days way behind her. He didn't have to tough it out with her. And maybe that's not good. Bobby loves Evelyn because she took him when she wasn't even sure it would work. Because they spent nights on hand-me-down quilts listening to sixties music.

She decides to do it after he gets home from school. But, before she can open her mouth he's thrown his notebook on the table.

"Look," he's rummaging through his folder before pushing it towards her.

"What's this?"

"How to build a tree house. I got it from school," he's smiling wide.

Evelyn nods and she sort of smiles and her plans are thrown out the window. She can't help but agree and call everyone she knows about possibly finding some wood.

And a week later, everything's back in place because Jerry finally realizes that he can have his own things.

And a month later, his tree house is burnt down.

But, it's ok because even though Bobby and him argue about it for weeks, she can tell that...they're brothers.


	3. Angel

**III**.  
Angel's first friend is Sofi.

All of the other's are friend's of Jerry who simply don't mind one more kid in their game of pick up football. With Bobby away from home the most insight Bobby can get into his new and youngest brother is news from some of his old friends. People around the neighborhood.

Evelyn can almost feel his distrust in his surroundings. Especially Bobby. Angel doesn't like Bobby. They clash on everything.

She thinks it's cute. The image of Angel with his chin held high, on the tips of his toes standing up to someone twice his size. That is, until they start fighting and she has to pull Bobby off of him.

Angel didn't like Bobby picking food off of his plate.

And Evelyn could see why.

He came from some place where he had nothing. Nothing at all.

When she had given him his first allowance he had the look of someone who had just been given entrance into heaven. And Evelyn knew it was simply because Angel never expected anyone to give him anything. He didn't understand the concept of sharing. And that's why he hated when anyone would ask him for something on his plate or when Bobby would ask for a few bucks to run down to the store.

He eats with his plate pulled painfully close to his body and will look up, shifty-eyed if anyone hovers.

And maybe that's why meeting Sofi is good.

She takes things without asking. She invites _herself _over, and she kisses him first.

Angel doesn't trust men. Older men. Probably because it was a man who took everything away from him and his mother.

He does, however, trust Sofi. Not that she asks. She demands. And Evelyn is thankful because she doesn't really have all of the time to tell Angel about sharing and what-not. And she's even thankful when Angel gets into his first fight, over Sofi and she's even less angrier than usual when Bobby beats the kid up. All because Angel had finally learned an important lesson. How to fight, and care for someone other than himself. Something he would take on into adulthood, and into the marines, years later.


	4. Jack

**IV.  
**Jack won't sleep.

Not in his bed at least. He loves his bed. He's proud of it. Sometimes they'll lose him for hours and Evelyn'll find him upstairs, faithfully, on the bed. He won't sleep on it though. She first became keen to this when he would go back and forth between the bathroom all night. She can't hear his footsteps. He's light on his feet. He just isn't so careful when he's shutting the door. Just like he isn't able to stop that one stair from creaking. She checks the refrigerator to see what it is he takes. There's nothing missing. It's not the same as Jerry, stealing food when no one's looking. No. Jack doesn't take anything.

"Jack," Evelyn whispers, cutting on the kitchen light.

Jack covers his eyes before looking back at her.

He isn't the best thing to look at. His cheeks are hollow. There are bags under his eyes. He's thin. Unbearably so. His mop of hair looks to thick for his thin body.

"Jack?" she repeats.

He's next to the refrigerator, his knees pulled into his chest.

He's crying, his bottom lip bitten. He looks pitiful. He looks beaten. Broken. Evelyn hates whoever did it to him. Who made him so hopeless.

"You wanna come sleep with me sweetheart?"

When he doesn't answer she sits down in the doorway to the kitchen and folds her legs.

"Are you afraid that he'll find you?" she yawns sleepily, "you're safe here,"

"Am I in trouble?"

"What?" she shakes her head, trying to keep a smile, "no dear. Why would you be in trouble?"

"I would always get in trouble the next day when I would...hide in the kitchen,"

He says it with a straight face. He's going to cry. His voice is thin. His hands are shaking.

"Why would you...?" she crawls forward and he pulls away. He backs into the wall until there's no where else to go.

"He wouldn't find me in the kitchen," he rests her head on his knees and pulls them tighter.

Jack's tall for his age. He looks gangly and lanky and awkward. And yet he looks so small. So easily hurtable.

"Can I touch you Jack? Can I hold you?"

She remembers what she had just said to Bobby yesterday. To not rush physical contact with him. To give him time and space. Yet, she can't help but to want to grab hold of him and never let go. She can't help but to want to make it all better for him.

He nods.

"Yes? I won't if you don't want me to. Promise," she reaches out and he takes hold of her hand.

They don't speak about it. Not anymore. Tomorrow, he'll sleep in his bed. It'll take awhile before it's consistent. Before he stops wandering into Bobby's room.

But Evelyn holds him. She holds his head to her chest and rests her fingers in his hair knowing that it'll be a long ride ahead, and that she's ready for it.


End file.
